Of Acting and Other Things
by Irrelevancy
Summary: Alexis has a crush on Ryan, and to steer her clear, Ryan asks Esposito to do a little "acting" with him. Little did he know where it would lead. Ryan/Esposito.


**A/N: Filled for the prompt on the Castle Kink Meme:**

**"Alexis has a crush on Ryan... So Ryan & Esposito pretend to be a couple so not to hurt her feeling (and anger Castle), Esposito is VERY happy to oblige and enjoys the opportunity to show Ryan how things could be if they were really together."**

**Somehow, it didn't go exactly as the prompt wanted, but it got fine feedback.**

**...I think.**

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"Okay, here she comes. You ready?"

"Been ready since Day 1, bro. Let's do this thing already."

With a nervous sigh, Kevin turned to the coffee machine, watching Alexis Castle approach the kitchen out of the corners of his eyes. Once the girl saw him, her face lit up like a Christmas tree, and began jogging towards them, disappearing behind a pillar. Before she could reappear on the other side, though, a blue shirt sleeve blocked his view, its owner wrapping his arms around him. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Ryan leaned back into the sturdy, warm chest of Esposito and put his cup back onto the countertop.

"What's up?" he muttered airily, as if it was the most comfortable thing to do to relax into Javier's warmth surrounding him on the November evening at Castle's home...

He was acting. Just. Acting.

"I've missed you," Esposito whispered into his ear. Ryan shivered a bit at the gust of wind across his skin, and could feel himself turning red. Calm down, Kevin. This is just acting. Javier Esposito was just a better actor than he imagined. That's why he was getting flustered. The only reason why. He let out a nervous laugh.

"You've worked with me all day, and sat next to me all night. How could you miss me?" Ryan turned around in the circle of Esposito's arms, and pressed himself against that warm, warm chest... "If anything, you should be sick of me."

"Sick of you? No way." Kevin heard his partner take a deep breath, as if taking in his scent, and felt his muscles relaxing beneath the hands rested around Esposito's neck. Esposito's arms drew him in a little closer, and Ryan found himself staring at the tanned skin of Javier's neck. He felt his eyes fluttering shut, pressing his lips to that tantalizing skin, trailing soft kisses along the surface...

Esposito's sharp intake of breath snapped him out of his reverie. Quickly, Ryan pushed away, and avoided meeting Javier's mocha brown eyes to see the confused, and slightly hurt expression there.

"We should stop this..." he murmured, trying to focus on something he could stare at that won't draw him in closer to the sun that was Esposito. Javier often compared him to bright sunlight (sometimes happily, sometimes grumpily), but Ryan didn't know what he was talking about, when Esposito was the real source of gravity here. Somehow, trailing eyes always found their way to the detective, or stray conversation leading to Esposito. "Not here, anyways..."

Ryan still refused to look up when Javier gently took his hands, and planted knight-like kisses on his knuckles.

"If you say so, _princesa_..." With that last kiss, Esposito pulled completely away, walking out of the kitchen and back to the table, where Castle and Beckett were engrossed in their argument about which was better, Led Zeppelin or The Who, leaving Ryan, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, standing in the middle of the kitchen, his hands frozen where Esposito left them, lingering warmth quickly disappearing in the cold air.

Kevin shivered, and contemplated calling Esposito back. But as he stared at the cold remains of his coffee, he decided against it, and started walking back to the room, feeling very confused. A tug on his sleeve stopped him mid-step, and the detective turned to face - to his surprise - none other than Alexis.

Oh right. That's why he did this in the first place. He had known he was going to feel guilty tonight, but Javier had somehow directed the guilt he expected to feel towards Alexis to him instead.

"Alexis!" Good, he sounded properly surprised, not broodingly questioning his sanity for reevaluating the feelings he had for his partner. "What's up?"

"I saw what just happened," Alexis answered quietly, looking down on the floor like Ryan had done just a couple of minutes ago. Her fingers, though, still clutched tightly onto Kevin's sleeve.

"O-oh..." Ryan didn't know what to do. How was he supposed to answer in this situation? Was there even a question to answer? "I... I see..."

"...I think you should apologize..."

It took a couple of moments for the words to sink in, and when they did, Ryan choked on air. "E-excuse me...?"

Alexis looked up with a newly determined air. "Detective Esposito looked really hurt there, when you... denied him." A pink blush spread across her pale cheeks at this, and if Kevin hadn't been so shocked, he might've smiled a bit. "And... Um... I probably don't know what I'm saying right now, but it seems like his feelings to you are real. The way he acts, the way he looks only at you. Not just now, either! The whole night. Every other night. Every time I see the two of you together, he looks only at you. But the way... The way you treated him seemed a bit... Not fake. No. I can see you care for him. But... not the same way? Unsure, a bit. Kind of like you're leading him on..."

"Leading him on...?" Kevin parroted, now truly and utterly confused. "I... I don't know... I'm not leading him on. At least, I hope not..."

"Do you love him, detective?"

Ryan's automatic response "Just call me Ryan" died on his lips when he thought, truly, about the question presented to him. Once again, he found his eyes trailing towards Esposito, who had now drifted into the rock bands-battle with an entry of his own - Pink Floyd. Did he like Javier? Of course. Did he ever thought of... doing things with Javier? Sure. Kevin had long since came to terms with his lack of determined sexual orientation.

Did he love Javier?

Yes. He did.

Alexis, miraculously, didn't need a reply, but just smiled sadly. "Then you should tell him that, detective."

Ryan turned to look back at the blonde, already halfway out the door, and offered her his trademark grin, blue eyes twinkling with appreciation, excitement, and confidence all at once.

"Just call me Ryan."

-

"Esposito!"

The Rock Gods-argument came to a screeching halt at Ryan's yell, and normally, the Irish detective would've been embarrassed, had he not been in such a hurry.

"Ryan...?" Esposito muttered unsurely, taking in his partner's hassled appearance (it had nothing to do with clothing or anything - just something about the regularly calm Kevin changed it had him worried) and rose from his chair. "What's wrong?"

Ryan didn't respond, just grabbed Javier's arm and pulled him along as he ran for the exit. Esposito didn't even try to stop him, just followed him to the entrance and started putting on his shoes.

"Guys?" Beckett called, starting towards them with the police-look back on her face. "Is there's something wrong?"

"Nothing," Ryan replied hurriedly. "Something personal. With Esposito. Let's go."

With that as farewell, he disappeared out the threshold, Esposito right by his heels, only offering Kate a small shrug before slamming the door shut behind him.

-

"Esposito, I think I like you."

Javier thought his breathing stopped as they rode down on the elevator from Castle's flat. With an incredulous look, he turned towards Ryan, who was looking decidedly forward. However, no embarrassed blush adorned his cheeks; only a resolute gaze in his eyes.

"No, I don't think," Ryan continued on, back ramrod straight as he watched the buttons flash with each floor they descended. "I _know_. I know I like you. Way too much. And I know I'm probably freaking you out right now with my babbling and confessing to my partner I love hi- mmmn!"

Esposito thought it was an adequately polite and easy way to shut the babbling detective up - by sealing their lips together.

For the first moment into the kiss, the Ryan just stared, and Esposito stared back at those amazing eyes the color-the-sky-ought-to-be, all sense of romance lost on them. Then, slowly, both pairs of lips started to relax against each other, and mould together like perfect puzzle pieces, and it was only then Kevin relaxed into Javier's arms for the second time that night. Their kiss grew deeper, both of them tilting their heads to the right, tongues nervously exploring unknown territories. Hands started roaming, down backs, up arms, pressing against hard-won abs and gently brushing across sensitized skin.

All the while, they stared at each other, eyes never sliding shut for longer than necessary in order to blink. Every time Ryan would do so, Javier would must if that was the time his eyelids will flutter down, and his eyes will stay closed. But so far, both seemed to have the same idea, and brown stared into blue, blue into brown.

When the elevator dinged to signal its arrival, the two detectives gently pulled away from each other, and walked out together, hand in hand, while Ryan hailed a cab to 1135 Franklin St. - because Esposito's apartment was much closer, and his bed much bigger.

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**A/N: Good? Bad? You want a bowl of cereal?**

**...Review?**


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